Kyla
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1963 Kenskill
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Post by Kyla on Jul 28, 2020 7:02:58 GMT -8
Okay, enough gloating. It's time to get the roof vents off this baby! I've been chipping away at the rock-hard goop (what is that stuff, anyway?) with a stiff putty knife and some elbow grease. Slow going.
I have six of these vents to remove before the roof comes off. Any suggestions?
As always, THANK YOU!
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57 Trotwood
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Post by 57 Trotwood on Jul 28, 2020 10:54:44 GMT -8
Keep taking off the old sealer , that's my suggestion. Most of that sealer put on these old campers was a crime.
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Post by vikx on Jul 28, 2020 11:26:17 GMT -8
Six? vents? Whoa.
We call white stuff "snow sh*t" and grey stuff "silver slop: your photo shows exactly why we do not GOOP ROOFS... White will peel easier than silver.
Silver slop dries like cement and will not sand. If it is silver, pick as well as you can. You can use a very stiff putty knife and a hammer to try and lift it. I have tried everything, including heat, chemicals and gasoline. It is asphalt based which you will see when/if you try to clean the debris.
The vents have to come off regardless but now may be the time to consider new roof metal. It would be easier and you will never get all that goop off. Have fun picking...
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Kyla
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1963 Kenskill
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Post by Kyla on Jul 29, 2020 10:31:06 GMT -8
Regarding vents and "silver goop": I needed to ice my hands after the three hours it took to get just one vent off. Ouch. Just FYI: I found that hammering the edge of a chisel straight into the hard "goop" would create a dent that I could then attack with a stiff putty knife. Worked for me, anyway. I did consider a chainsaw or a blow torch, but thought better of it in the end.
One vent down, five to go!
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Post by vikx on Jul 29, 2020 20:54:29 GMT -8
Wow! You did good... Have fun with the rest of them.
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Kyla
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1963 Kenskill
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Post by Kyla on Aug 1, 2020 13:20:49 GMT -8
Settle a debate: Bolts or screws or some sort of hybrid fastener?
P.S. I took more than 700 of these babies off Petunia. Required ice baths for my hands every night! Feels soooo good to get the last one off!
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sunnywater
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1959 Shasta Airflyte (Connie)
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Post by sunnywater on Aug 1, 2020 13:54:28 GMT -8
Settle a debate: Bolts or screws or some sort of hybrid fastener?
P.S. I took more than 700 of these babies off Petunia. Required ice baths for my hands every night! Feels soooo good to get the last one off! I believe those are hex head sheet metal screws. Youch! Way to go! Gwen
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turbodaddy
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17' 1965 Fan "Sunseeker"
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Post by turbodaddy on Aug 1, 2020 18:25:05 GMT -8
Those screws are available in stainless steel, which I used over 6 years ago. Some people say they will not hold paint, but I have not had that problem. One of vikx's (I think?) tips is to put a wooden toothpick coated with glue or epoxy into each screw hole when replacing the screws so they will get a better bite into the old framing.
I agree with all of the others, you are asking the right questions and getting the right answers. A year (or more) from now and you'll have a complete, safe and unique little piece of rolling history that will make you justifiably proud of all the hard work. Scraped knuckles, blisters and almost lost fingers or thumbs will be forgotten when you take your first road trip, and have confidence that you did it all the right way.
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Post by vikx on Aug 1, 2020 20:11:39 GMT -8
Those do look like hex heads. Are you removing them by hand?
If so, you need to get a drill driver. I use the sub compact Makita which is quite small and light. (18 volt model XPH11ZB) but any cordless drill will work. I would not go less than 18 volts. You will need nutsetters that fit the hex heads (1/4") along with phillips and drill bits. A must have for building a trailer.
Sorry about your poor hands.
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Kyla
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1963 Kenskill
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Post by Kyla on Aug 3, 2020 12:51:12 GMT -8
On to the floor, which is next in the "Order of Build" manual from VK Lee. Right? Floors before walls?
Here's a pic of Petunia's floor, sans linoleum. There is no visible water damage, but the floor feels a bit "spongy" when I walk on it.
Note: She's not sitting on concrete; it's parked on ground covered with bark chips. So...just to confirm, I use a skill saw to cut through the floor to reach the sub-floor. From there, well...we'll see. Note: Some of the walls are water-damaged and need to be replaced. Should I take the walls out before sawing through the floor?
Thanks!
P.S. This pic shows the benches/bed, but I've since taken those out.
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Post by vikx on Aug 3, 2020 22:06:37 GMT -8
You need to inspect the floor edges to see if it needs repair. It should NOT feel spongy anywhere... You might be able to repair certain areas without a complete floor replacement. Check the sills and floor joists closely any place that feels spongy.
I say wait on sawing the floor until you know how bad it is. Some areas may be fine and you could piece the rest. If there is a metal belly, it is likely to have more rot than an open one.
Where exactly is it spongy?
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Kyla
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1963 Kenskill
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Post by Kyla on Aug 4, 2020 0:26:55 GMT -8
It's hard to say exactly where it's spongy. The whole thing just seems bouncy, as opposed to specific sink holes.
And, um, do I inspect the joists and sills from underneath?
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Kyla
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1963 Kenskill
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Post by Kyla on Aug 4, 2020 15:50:33 GMT -8
Exploring this floor issue further. This collage depicts the floor from above as well as under the trailer. Underneath, there is a sort of particle board that is loose and sagging. I'm still uncertain if I should attack the "spongy" floor issue from above or below. Thoughts? Advice? Much appreciated!
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datac
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1957 Cardinal
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Post by datac on Aug 4, 2020 16:12:33 GMT -8
I lifted the skins, saw that the skirts and sills were both rotten, and knew that the floor had to come out to repair the sills. I've already removed the rotten skirt (bottom of wall framing) in this shot, mostly with a shop vac. That's the aluminum flashing visible that once wrapped around the edge of the skirt.
This trailer had no obvious damage from the outside.
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Post by vikx on Aug 4, 2020 20:30:36 GMT -8
Remove the floor and go from there. If the belly's bad, you will have to go to the frame to replace it. Here is my Cardinal build: 58cardinal.shutterfly.com/Click on Pictures and Videos to view the albums. The first part of the build shows replacing the subfloor, adding joists and the new belly.
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